DLI/IDD 1997 Workshop
DLI On-line Reference Tools Lab Worksheet
Locating an appropriate file for a user requires a good reference interview and knowledge of some of the resources available for locating data files. This exercise provides an example of how some of the search engines on the Statistics Canada web site can help library staff identify data files which will be of interest to patrons.
In this instance, the library patron is a graduate student who is interested in any surveys relating to stress and health. Canadian data would, of course, be preferable, so you turn to the Statistics Canada web page as a starting point.
Lab Step 1: Start-Up Preparation
Locate the Netscape icon and double-click to open it.
Click on the Open button [or go to File on the toolbar, and select Open Location].
Enter the URL for Statistics Canada (
Click on your language preference to take you to the Statistics Canada main menu.
Lab Step 2: Search Statistics Canada’s web site
From the Statistics Canada main menu ( on the Search hypertext link on the left side of the page [or scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Search].
Select the Statistics Canada Web Site from the list of information bases which can be searched.
Search the Statistics Canada Web Site using the terms “stress” and “health” as keywords and answer the following questions before going on in the exercise.
Questions
1.List the “information bases” available for searching on the Statistics Canada web site.
2.Scroll down the list of results of the search on “stress” and “health”. How many documents are retrieved using the Statistics Canada Web Site search using the keyword option? Can you identify any of these as data files?
Lab Step 3: Search Statistics Canada’s Information on Products and Services (IPS):
Return to the Search page (
Click on Information on Products and Services (IPS) Catalogue. Note that you can search by keyword, by title, or by Statistics Canada publication number (e.g. 75-002).
Select the keyword option and type “stress” in the space provided for search terms. Use the pull-down menu to change from a Boolean “Or” search to a Boolean “And” search. Type “health” in the second box provided.
Click on the radial button which allows you to sort the results by Medium. Click on the SEARCH button.
Note that you can refine your search by selecting terms from the Statistics Canada thesaurus, which automatically provides “see” and “see also” references for IPS searches. Click again on the SEARCH button.
Locate the National Population Health Survey 1994-1995 and click on the hypertext linked product number (82F0001XCB). Complete the questions below before going on to the next section.
QUESTIONS ON THE IPS
3.Which alternative search terms are provided by the Statistics Canada thesaurus for the term “stress?”
4.How many matches were found using the terms “health” and “stress”? What types of media are represented in the list of items retrieved? Can you identify any of these as data files?
5.In looking at the full description of 82F0001XCB, can you determine how many households were included in the NPHS?
6. Did all the people in the household receive the same set of questions? Does the survey include information on the health of kids, or just adults?
7. How much would it cost to buy the CD-ROM version of the NPHS if the patron was not an authorized user of your institution or if they were planning on using the data for purposes outside the DLI license?
Lab Step 4: Explore Statistics Canada’s Thematic Search Tool (TST):
Return to the search page ( using the page back arrows in the Netscape browser.
Click on Thematic Search Tool (TST).
Click on Main Subject List and click on Health. Note that the surveys are presented by topic, and that there is now a tool bar which appears at the top of the screen.
Scroll down until you find the listings under “Absent from work...” and click on National Population Health Survey, 1995.
Click on the Thematic List of Variables button and use the scroll bar to examine the information provided to answer question 8. Return to the main screen for the NPHS using the Netscape Back button.
Move down to Record Layouts. Click on the hypertext link which begins Note re: difference between files and answer question 9. Return to the main screen for the NPHS using the Netscape Back button.
Click on Health File, under Record Layout, and use the scroll bar to examine the contents. Respond to questions 10 & 11.
QUESTIONS ON THE TST, Part A
8.What demographic variables are included in this survey? Are they easily identified?
9.How many records are there in the General public use microdata file?
How many records are there in the Health public use microdata file?
10. What is the variable name for “Current Marital Status?”
11. What is the value assigned to respondents who owned at least one cat or dog under the variable “KINDPETG”?
Lab Step 5: Search the Thematic Search Tool (TST):
Click on the Query button at the top of the screen, which will bring up a query dialogue box.
Position the cursor in the Query For box, click once, and type the search terms “health and stress.”
Scroll down the page and tick all the display options presented in the second part of the screen.
Click on the Search button.
QUESTIONS ON THE TST (Part B)
12.How many times did the word “health” appear in the TST database?
13.How many times did the word “stress” appear in the TST database?
14.How many records list both terms?
Move to the top of the page and click on the Document button.
15. Which surveys are listed under the heading of Stress related to Child Care?
Use the Next Hit button and move through the results to identify the surveys which contain questions with the terms “stress” and “health.” Click through the screens relating to “Main Subject List” (approximately five screens), until you begin retrieving individual surveys (e.g. 1991 General Social Survey, 1994 General Social Survey, etc.)
16. Can you identify, in the retrieved list of individual surveys, any surveys which will include questions on health and stress in the workplace?
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